Today, social media marketing has massive potential for businesses. Effective marketing on social media makes your business visible, creates awareness, and can drive revenue.
But as a dentist, your goals are quite different from a retail business; you don’t need to convince people that they need to get their teeth checked. They already know that!
Your challenge is getting people to remember to book regular appointments and helping them feel comfortable in your chair. The main goal is to build trust with your audience. And social media is an excellent tool to make those connections.
We’ve outlined the top 4 reasons why it’s important for dentists to be active on social media. Which can help kick start your motivation to post more regularly!
Put Patients at Ease
Dentophobia is real. That’s right; people are so afraid of dental work it has a field of psychiatry devoted to it. Studies have shown that up to 75% of adults fear going to the dentist.
This fear often results in people avoiding going to their appointments. To get people back in your chair, you need to show them that there is nothing to fear!
Social media provides you with the perfect opportunity to showcase your practice and educate your patients.
You want to create a welcoming environment where people feel their appointments will be pain-free and judgment-free. Highlight the fact that you are there to help and want the experience to be as comfortable as possible for your patients. This will help put their minds at ease when booking appointments with you.
Attract New Patients
When done effectively, social media marketing has been shown to increase brand awareness and influence buying decisions. According to sprout social, 75% of people purchased a product or service because of social media.
By putting your dental practice on social media in a positive light, you can inspire new patients to book an appointment with you!
When it comes to finding a new dentist, people do their research. When choosing a new dentist, people aren’t just buying a one-off product. Patients commit to a consistent relationship with a dentist they trust and are willing to visit at least twice per year.
Having a strong social media presence allows potential patients to see the type of service you offer, which goes a long way in getting new patients.
Retain Current Patients
Retaining patients is essential! It’s far easier (and cost less) to retain the patients you already have than to find new patients. For dentists, the average patient will generate approximately $900-$1000 per year and will stay with that practice for 10 years. With a lifetime value of $10 000 dollars, it’s worth your time to appeal to your current patients on social media.
By posting regularly on social media, you will stay top-of-mind with current patients. Create valuable posts by featuring new treatments and useful information about holiday hours, billing updates, new products etc.
The next step for patient retention is to show gratitude that they chose you as their dentist! Between check-ups and extra appointments for filling cavities, and fixing crowns, they spend a fair amount of time in your practice. Taking the time to say thank you, helps your patients feel appreciated and valued.
Social media is also the perfect place to really let the culture and personality of your practice shine through. There’s more to your practice than just the dental services you offer, showcase this, and use social media to let your patients feel like part of the family. This doesn’t have to be complicated or overthought…just be you.
Become a Local Thought Leader
Creating content on social media that showcases your knowledge and expertise as a dentist will help set you apart as an industry leader. Social media is a great way to talk about any specialties to create awareness and build credibility.
Becoming a leader within the dental industry can attract new patients and get the attention of peers in your field. Noteworthy posts will be shared and will create more buzz for your dental clinic.
To Summarize
Social media can be incredibly effective for dentists. What’s key is to be very international about your posts. You want to make sure to align your content with your unique goals, which look different from many other industries. By keeping your focus on why you are posting on social media in the first place, your results will be better will seem more authentic to your audience.
Now that you have the reasons why social media is a great investment for your practice. Check out our article on how to polish up your social media skills to get maxim engagement.
